Throughout American history, African Americans faced many challenges and fierce discrimination. When World War II began, many of them dared to soar to new heights, some literally. As the United States was in desperate need of more pilots, a program titled the Tuskegee Experience was formed in 1941 to instruct African Americans in the ways of aerial combat. These individuals were the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American fighter pilots.
Life at Tuskegee Airfield was difficult for the Airmen. Out of an original class of thirteen, only five passed the rigorous training. To boot, the facility was typically administered by pro-segregation white men. This was not the first facility, so not all people involved with the Tuskegee Airmen were trained at Tuskegee. Support crews were originally trained at Chanute Air Base before Tuskegee was ready, and there the crews earned the highest cumulative grade-point average. Despite this, the Airmen were disparaged and discriminated against, even being blocked from the Officers' Mess.
The Tuskegee Airmen were some of the greatest fighter pilots of their time. They became feared by Axis pilots and revered by Allied bombers. What would become known as the Tuskegee Airmen lost only 27 bombers over the course of the war, and destroyed over one-hundred Axis aircraft, including (then advanced) jets and a German seaborne destroyer. By the end of the war, few Axis fighters would engage any plane with a red tail. The Tuskegee Airmen had become a force to be reckoned with.
The Tuskegee Airmen flew in the 332nd Fighter Group and the 99th Fighter Squadron. They were first deployed with the 12th Air Force to patrol around Naples, Italy in February, 1944. Both the 332nd and 99th eventually were transferred to the 15th Strategic Air Force, where they escorted bombers from Italy into Germany and Eastern Europe. Around 15,000 missions were flown in all. During their deployment in the 12th, they flew P-40 Warhawks and P-39 Airacobras. After Switching to the 15th, the Airmen flew P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts.
The Tuskegee Airmen of the 332nd Fighter Group and the 12th Air Force were widely praised. Commonly called "Red Tails" or "Red-Tail Angels," they got their name from their bright red paint and prowess while defending bombers. The Tuskegee Airmen soon became commonly requested for escort missions by white bomber pilots, even those who were bigoted. The Airmen also included a bomber squadron, the 447th Bombardment Group. Despite the success of the 332nd, the 447th never went to war.
The Tuskegee Airmen won many awards due to their achievements during the war. Overall, they were awarded 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Silver Star, 14 Bronze Stars, 744 Air Medals, 3 Distinguished Unit Citations and 8 Purple Hearts. When they returned to the United States, all their accomplishments were ignored by public media. Today, however, this isn’t the case. In 1998, a public law was passed, forming the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in none other than Tuskegee, Alabama.
The Tuskegee Airmen were pioneers of their time, forever a symbol of bravery and patriotism in the face of hatred. They stand for a desire to assist even when told despicable things by those assisted. On November 2, 2012, former Lieutenant Colonel Hiram Mann gave a speech to the 16th Airlift Squadron. Mann was a P-51D fighter pilot in 332nd Fighter Group. He told of his experiences as a Tuskegee Airmen during and after World War II. His closing message was simple: "Follow your dreams."